


a candy-cane licked into a knife

by CobaltCephalopod



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Blind Character, M/M, blind!kaito
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:14:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23285365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CobaltCephalopod/pseuds/CobaltCephalopod
Summary: "Hakuba stared at the space between the row of desks; he knew the dimensions of the aisle down to the last centimeter because he’d measured it out after class and yet he already knew what the outcome of this whole endeavor was going to be. Because for all the bookbags carefully stowed beneath chairs, there was one desk that he was never going to get past."Or: Hakuba keeps falling for Kaito and his shins hurt.
Relationships: Hakuba Saguru/Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid
Comments: 24
Kudos: 113
Collections: Best Sagukai Fics, DCMK Fanfiction Discord Server Recommendations





	1. Chapter 1

Hakuba stared at the space between the row of desks; he knew the dimensions of the aisle down to the last centimeter because he’d measured it out after class and yet he already knew what the outcome of this whole endeavor was going to be. Because for all the bookbags carefully stowed beneath chairs, there was one desk that he was never going to get past. 

Kuroba idly paged through his textbook, staring out the window and not paying attention to what he was doing at all. The reason Hakuba knew that wasn’t because his eyes never strayed to the paper but rather because his hands never touched the raised braille lines and that the innocent swinging of the legs beneath his desk was just a ruse. He didn’t need to look out the window, the fact that it was cracked open beside him was all he needed to experience the birdsong and the rustle of the trees outside. But instead of enjoying the spring day, Hakuba knew Kaito was going to be engaged in something far more entertaining instead, at least to him. 

Picking up his lunch, Hakuba started down the aisle with legs raised high to step over the space beside Kuroba’s desk. It may have been comically high, but that wasn’t going to be the reason for Kuroba’s laughter. He’d barely lifted his back foot up again, the horizon clearing with a ray of hope that he might make it, when a sharp snap sounded and he felt his foot catch on a slender pole, sending him careening into Fujiwara’s desk. 

He caught himself before he could hit the floor but his elbow banged against the wood of the chair and his entire downfall was accompanied by a clear ringing laugh. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Kuroba bent forward with tears in his eyes, the blue focused not on him but on the chalkboard beyond, and his hands curled around red and white striped plastic. 

“Sorry, didn’t see you there,” he said, reaching forward and feeling around until he’d found Hakuba’s arm and patting it as if in consolation. 

“That’s the third time this week, Kuroba,” Hakuba muttered, getting to his feet with his pride hurt more than any part of his body. “Will it ever stop being amusing?” 

“Will you ever get bored of accusing me of being KID?” Kuroba shot back, still grinning although his laughter had stopped. “Or ragging on him either? I understand how he can slip past you at all the heists if you can’t even avoid little old me.” 

Hakuba sighed, setting down his lunch on Fujiwara’s desk and watching Kuroba fold up his white cane with quick movements. Those long fingers had slipped notes onto his desk and curled around his arm instead of the banister when going down the stairs for weeks now, but this particular ritual was tripping him up, literally and figuratively. If he didn’t mistake the signs, and he was usually rather good about putting the clues together, then why did Kuroba seek him out one moment and the next one keep him from being able to cross a room without difficulty. 

That thought gave him pause though.  _ Without difficulty _ . Was this meant to be a lesson on the challenge that Kuroba faced every day? The unavoidable possibility of something tripping him up that he couldn’t see, even as prepared as he was. He’d seen the way Kuroba moved through the school, something easy about his step even as he took it with care, and the reckless abandon with which he wielded his cane. 

“Not when there’s the possibility that you might just be him,” Hakuba answered finally, not willing to let go of his suspicions even when faced with Kuroba’s questions. 

“You know he’s probably not blind right? I’ve heard the things he does, those crazy stunts.” Kuroba spread his hands to indicate himself. “Do I look like I can do that?”

“I wouldn’t put it past you,” Hakuba said, dropping into the desk in front of Kuroba’s. “You can pull a trick just as well as he can, no doubt about it. Just look at how you keep getting me, you said it yourself. If you can get me, then why couldn’t you be him? Just another way to pull the wool over my eyes.”

“Don’t need to do that when it’s already dark,” Kuroba said with a slight smile, head propped on his hand. “Guess you’ll never know.” 

Hakuba glanced over at his lunch still uneaten and the clock on the wall by the door. Making a call in the name of cracking at least one case, he twisted around and plonked the bento onto Kuroba’s desk with a hollow thunk. 

“Eat lunch with me?”

“Was that your way of asking me out on a date? Because if so, I’m already full.” Kuroba smirked, fingers tracing the edge of the box despite his words. 

Hakuba was glad Kuroba couldn’t see the red he could feel flooding his face and focused on spearing a slice of seasoned squash without fumbling it like he had his previous attempt at an exit. 

“What about if I asked about the cafe down the street? Would your answer change?” 

“Take me there and we’ll see.” Kuroba stuffed a piece of carefully prepared sausage into his mouth and spoke around it. “Well… I guess one of us will.” 

Hakuba groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose but smiling despite himself. That counted as some kind of victory, and maybe he’d even get an answer for his other question some other time. 


	2. Chapter 2

The closer he got to the cafe, the more Hakuba wondered what the hell he’d been thinking when he asked Kaito to go on a date with him. He wasn’t nearly prepared enough for this, he should’ve had notes and more observations and preferences and just all-in-all a plan rather than this hair-brained impulsive, swept-off-his-feet-by-Kuroba’s-stick and not-yet-a-date-until-he-agreed date. 

But here he was, waiting for Kuroba to show up and wondering if his shirt was the right level of not too casual but not too fancy to be putting too much thought into it. He clicked his watch open and closed as he agonized over it, his thoughts spinning between the fact that Kaito wouldn’t see what he was wearing anyway so he shouldn’t worry about it and not wanting to treat the not-really-a-date as any different from when he’d go with someone else.

Not that there was someone else, it had been Kuroba since the moment he walked into that classroom and his mischievous grin had been like a warning sign by the window to stay away. And yet he’d fallen for him anyway. Over and over and over, literally because he couldn’t find it in himself to avoid passing by him, knew that avoiding him would be an end to the game, and figuratively every time Kuroba asked for help in filling in what notes he missed from the board during class and every time he laughed so hard that his eyes closed. Every time they would read quietly together, Kuroba’s stare directed towards the ceiling as he leaned back while his fingers skimmed across the page and Hakuba couldn’t take his own eyes off the graceful motion and the way sunlight played over Kuroba’s face. 

“Hakuba?” Kuroba’s voice interrupted his reverie, along with the sharp thwack of his stick against Hakuba’s shins. “You awake?”

“Ow, what if it hadn’t been me? And you’d just whacked a complete stranger in the leg?” Hakuba asked, taking in Kuroba’s neat, dark button-up and the handkerchief sticking out of his pocket. His hair was still as much of a wild mop as always but Hakuba didn’t think that was a detriment to the look.

“I don’t know anyone else who has the same aura of deep, brooding thought that you do.” Hakuba looked at him in disbelief before letting out a huff, to which Kuroba grinned. “Kidding. I don’t have any supernatural senses, not matter what Akako says. You’re just the only person I know who snaps their watch like that when they’re thinking.”

Hakuba glanced down at the watch he still held in his hand, clicking it shut and stowing it away with an odd warm feeling in his chest. “You ready?”

“Lead the way.”

The inside of the shop was lit with sconces along the walls and the pastry counter stretched the whole length of the store with a wide selection of desserts ranging from creamy layered cakes to jelly doughnuts. 

Hakuba looked for a menu, cursing himself for the fact that he hadn’t thought to see if they had a braille version, to make one himself ahead of time with his household’s resources or whether Kuroba would even want him to read it to him.

Kuroba stopped in front of the counter and took a deep breath, hand resting on the back of a chair. Pulling it out, he plopped into it and tapped the one opposite with his stick. 

“I won’t trip you this time, I promise,” he joked, “Not in a place that smells this nice. Do they have any matcha rolls? I bet this place is fancy enough to have it.” 

“How many do you want?” Hakuba glanced at the ones displayed in the cabinet, tempted to get some himself. “They’re about as big as your palm.”

“Two then, I’ve got a big stomach.” Kuroba waited until Hakuba had ordered and taken his seat before continuing, “I owe you for lunch too.”

“You did me a favor, Baba always packs too much and I can’t possibly eat it in one go.” Hakuba adjusted the vase between them on the table, giving himself that excuse for why he wanted to reach across and hold something. 

“Are those flowers?” Kuroba reached out upon hearing the clink of ceramic on lacquered wood and his hands came to rest on the vase atop Hakuba’s, tightening his grip as he forcefully leaned it towards his face. Hakuba was sent spiralling at the warm contact and didn’t try and free his hands in the slightest. 

“They’re camellias,” Hakuba said after a while, glad his voice was steady despite everything. 

“Explains why I can’t smell anything,” Kuroba muttered, one hand letting go of Hakuba’s to pinch a petal against his thumb. “What color are they?” 

“White with red on the edges,” he said, just as a waitress slid their plates onto the table and Kuroba let go of his hands to make room. Hakuba missed the press of his fingers.

“This must be some fancy place then, dual colored flowers and all,” Kuroba said, with what Hakuba hoped was a hint of approval. Kuroba pulled one of the plates towards him and traced the edges of the rolls with a fork before orienting it squarely in front of him. “Looks like this is a date then.”

“You haven’t even tried it yet, Kuroba.”

“Fine,” he took a bite, “There, it’s official now. Fancy flowers and everything.” 

They ate the soft, creamy green rolls in seconds and Hakuba didn’t want to taint anything with his expectations but he couldn’t remember the last time a dessert tasted that good. 

“And before you ask, I do know what colors look like,” Kuroba muttered around his last bite, setting the fork neatly across the plate. “I know you detectives don’t miss a beat, or can’t help but be curious about people’s pasts and stuff.”

“I wouldn’t ask,” Hakuba said immediately, wishing he knew what to say that wouldn’t make it sound like he didn’t care. He knew he pried into Kuroba’s life simply on account of suspecting him of being KID but he would never dream of going that deep, even if it meant leaving a stone unturned. 

“I know, you prefer to figure it out instead.” Kuroba leaned back and tugged his handkerchief out of his pocket, holding it out to Hakuba to take. “And I don’t mind. Being a bit of a mystery is fun, so here’s your first clue.” 

Hakuba pulled the kerchief dubiously from his fingers and found it turned from white to blue to red and through all variety of shades in one long stream until he held an armful of fabric while Kuroba grinned from across the table. 

“Tada. And also, one more thing before we go on a second date,” Kuroba said, although Hakuba’s heart was already singing at the prospect of going out with him, “Call me Kaito.”


	3. Chapter 3

Hakuba stared across the lobby at Kuro— Kaito, he was still a little euphoric from the privilege of getting to call him that, but that didn’t change the fact that his number one suspect as KID was standing in the scene of the soon-to-be crime. Striding towards him, he admired the way Kaito’s jacket hugged his waist before cordoning his thoughts back to work. He couldn’t afford to get distracted by Kaito while he was still technically preparing for the heist, no matter how much he wanted to focus on the new pair of pants Kaito was sporting instead of his work. 

“What are you doing here?” he called over, hoping his tone of voice signalled first and foremost that he was happy to see him despite his abrupt question. 

“Aoko’s sick with the flu, probably from her girls’ night out a few days ago. She came back drenched because apparently they’d decided to be risky and not take any umbrellas. And now I’m here.” Kaito waved his stick around, presumably to indicate his surroundings and the lavish exhibition hall entrance they were standing in. Avoiding the tip of it, Hakuba waited for Kaito to continue now that he knew the other’s penchant for avoiding giving a straightforward answer to his questions by any means possible. “Do you not want me here?” 

“No, it’s just…” 

“You don’t want me to snoop around because I’m secretly moonlighting as a daredevil thief who can leap off tall buildings and fly?” Kaito smiled and Hakuba just knew that it meant trouble. “Saguru, you’ll have to give up your hair-brained ideas at some point.”

Just then, Inspector Nakamori rounded the corner to make a beeline for Kaito. The man’s ebulliant grin was practically audible and judging by Kaito’s returning smile, he was used to the sounds of his approach, more specifically the loud inhalation that signalled the start of his side of conversations. 

“Kaito! Just the one I wanted to see, come give this place a feel and tell me what you think,” Nakamori said, tapping the top of Kaito’s shoulder with a finger before resting his arm across his back and drawing him across the room to where the jewel was resting in its cradle of velvet. Kaito let himself be led, waving jauntily back in Hakuba’s direction as Nakamori began to explain the setup. Following behind, Hakuba stayed to Kaito’s right as they came to a stop a few meters from the pedestal, clicking his watch open to check how much time they had. Nine hours until the heist, surely that was surely a short enough time that whatever information Kaito gleaned from this visit couldn’t be put to full use. But then again, Kaito always managed to surprise him. 

“This is the Ballerina’s Ballad, a pink beryl passed down by the head director of the ballet company from overseas. He’s agreed to let us house it here, and made us install this parquet platform for security reasons.” Nakamori rapped his shoe against the slightly raised section of the hall’s floor, the sound echoing in the large space. “It’s only about six meters square, but very important for foiling that pernicious thief.”

“It’s a dance floor,” Kaito said, tracing the edge of it with his cane before raising his foot as if to step on it. Nakamori held him back, although Hakuba had seen the way most of Kaito’s weight had remained on his back foot. 

“Wait just a minute! You can’t step on it, or it’ll trigger the trap mechanisms.”

“What about if KID comes down from above? He’s done that before, what’s to stop him?”

Nakamori laughed and clapped Kaito on the back before replying, “See, you’re a sharp one! If anything touches the case without stepping onto certain squares first, it springs the trap then too. Only a few squares are safe to step on, the director’s ordered us to pattern it after a ballet sequence he favors from something about about birds and death, I don’t really recall.”

“How about that, Saguru? A dance-off to foil KID,” Kaito called over to him, face still turned in the jewel’s direction. “Inspector, are you sure you can do this sequence though? If this ballet guy decided on it, then it might be too complicated and the police squad can’t check on the jewel.”

“Nonsense, it’s nothing we couldn’t do too.” Nakamori waved off the concern and started off along the side of the raised square. “Here, I’ll do it now.”

“I advise against that, sir. You don’t know how KID could find out about the sequence,” Hakuba spoke up, his suspicions not letting Kaito’s innocently curious face beguile them. He might look like a perfectly ordinary high schooler, but Hakuba knew the mischievous streak that colored him on the inside. It had been what made him fall for him, in multiple ways, but it was also what clashed with his ideals too. 

“Saguru, what am I going to do? Tell KID how it sounds?” Kaito made his way over, slipping his hand around Hakuba’s arm and pressing against his side. It was a sneaky tactic, keeping him rooted to the spot not only because of the strength of Kaito’s hold on him but also because he could feel his resolve weakening against the feeling of warmth against his side and Kaito’s fingers buried in his sweater, kneading it in slow circles. It was so distracting, Kaito’s hair brushing his shoulder while he hummed a melody under his breath that Hakuba strained to hear the notes of, that by the time he came back to his senses Nakamori was halfway through the sequence. He really needed to work on his self-control around Kaito, it was an unfair advantage the amount of pull Kaito had on his awareness, but that could wait until later. 

“And there! Gem perfectly secure,” Nakamori announced when he’d reached the pedestal, leaning against the top of it in a pose of nonchalance even as his face grew red from exertion and sweat beaded on his brow. 

“He’s out of breath, isn’t he? I can hear it,” Kaito whispered in Hakuba’s ear, sending a thrill down his spine from the brush of his exhale. The smile playing across his lips was almost too much for Hakuba to bear, succumbing to enjoying the sight of it even as he knew he should be paying more attention.

“Y-yeah, he’s all flushed. And he kept stopping at the pirouette parts,” he said, only realizing a moment later that it was now his turn to be leaking information to Kaito. 

“Are you dancing connoisseur yourself, Saguru?” 

“I enjoy watching it, I cannot do ballet however.” He watched as Nakamori came back to them, laboriously slow on the return but doggedly landing his steps. 

“How about any others?”

“I can do the waltz,” Hakuba admitted.

“The waltz. Well, that seems simple enough.”

“What about you? Do you like to dance?” Hakuba pushed away the unbidden image of them circling slowly, pressed as close as they were now and the music sweeping them across the ballroom conjured in his mind. 

“With the right partner,” Kaito said, letting go as Nakamori came back over.

“So, Kaito, what do you think?” 

“That KID’s going to have his work cut out for him. I’m sure that was truly a sight to see, Inspector.” 

“We’ll see for tomorrow, who comes out the winner!” Nakamori pumped his fist, excitement shining in his eyes as he came over to tap Kaito’s hand before shaking it. “Thank you for taking care of Aoko while she’s sick, I couldn’t catch this thief without your help.” 

“Anytime, Inspector. I’ll be off then, Aoko needs her hot water bottle refilled.” Kaito nudged his shoulder against Hakuba’s, voice lowering. “The dance will have to wait, my dear detective.” 

Hakuba watched him leave with a spring in his step, back to humming the melody that was only just now registering as the theme from Swan Lake. The distraction had gone on long enough, if Kaito could play outside the rules then so could he. Tonight would certainly be a surprise, for a special thief. 


	4. Chapter 4

A tone sounded in Kaito’s ear, then the soft, barely perceptible tick of the seconds left behind before his performance began. He crouched in the grate, elbow braced against the side and kept his breathing even while he ran over what needed to happen in the next few seconds. He’d cut it close this time, leaving himself only nine hours to figure everything out fully and then to memorize it all as well. But if nothing else, tonight would bring a victory one way or another, with the added challenge of Hakuba’s close scrutiny focused on his every move it would make the exhilaration of escape even sweeter, and perhaps temper the disappointment the Ballerina’s Ballad would likely bring. 

The thought of Hakuba made him settle, which was a betrayal to his thief’s sensibilities if there ever was one. As soon as he’d heard of the detective joining their class he’d expected it to be the perfect way to spy on one of his accomplished pursuers in close quarters, but then Hakuba had to go and be so damn polite, and yet so sharp at the same time. Sharp enough to cut through any pretenses Kaito feigned at for every hazard and barb he put before Hakuba, and sharp enough to consider something no one else, not even the most crazy fans, had ever considered: that Kaito KID, the elusive moonlit phantom, might be blind. 

And that first accusation had sent his heart racing, not least because of the tone Hakuba had used, so determined and passionate about the truth of his conclusion, that Kaito had fought to keep his poker face instead of letting his smile melt into something more touched. From there, it had just kept going. The need to pull Hakuba careening towards him, testing whether it had been just a momentary delusion or something real, and then the date he’d never expected to be asked on, it was all good fun until he’d realized that in the process of trying to trip Hakuba up, he’d been swept off his own feet. He didn’t miss how Hakuba’s touch sent a shiver through him, nor the genuine excitement over the suggestion of dancing with him—hell, he’d even used the sound of Hakuba’s watch ticking as the audio for his countdown. He was well and truly caught, in one definition of the word and he had a feeling it wouldn’t be too long until Hakuba caught him out in another way too. But he was willing to play with fire, to feel the warmth that came from being near him and with him. 

The last ten seconds started and Kaito tensed, laying his hands on the cold metal in readiness and wishing fingerless gloves went better with his top-hat and cape. In the beginning, he’d worn the gloves his father had, but with so much of what he did reliant on touch, it was best not to forgo that sense on top of everything else. 

Three…

Two…

One…

Kaito flung himself into the darkness that descended on the ballroom outside his post, a wide grin spreading across his face as he heard the startled yells of alarm and the call for flashlights went up in Nakamori’s familiar boom. From the edge of the grate, it took only four long strides for him to reach the corner of the platform and another two steps along it to reach the first square that had to be triggered. 

He had to hand it to the police squad, or more accurately, the ballet director, for thinking up this kind of security instead of a conventional method of lock and key. It had certainly required more than his usual methods to ascertain the combination, but trust Nakamori to be willing to show him the way with a conveniently placed positioning tracker. Aoko’s father had never been one to forgo asking his opinion in times of quandary and the physicality of Nakamori’s fondness was one he’d always appreciated. Taking advantage of it had given him just the slightest tinge of guilt, considering how much it meant when only his mother’s voice reached him from overseas, but for the sake of his goal, he’d brushed the reticence aside. 

As for the sequence, after memorizing the dimensions of so many floor plans and furniture layouts, both for heists and for general school use, it was simply a matter of practice before he could have completed the steps in his sleep. He’d spent the last few hours of his preparation running through it over and over again on the floor of the lair, making sure he didn’t hit the bounds or overshoot his trajectory on the jumps. 

Just as he heard the lights click back on, he reached the display case and was greeted by one of the best sounds in the world: the gasps of the task force as they realized he already had the jewel in hand. It was a true pleasure to catch them off-kilter, even when he’d specifically warned them ahead of time, there was just a thrill to it. 

“KID!” And that voice, Hakuba’s yell that only made his grin grow wider as he tipped his hat in the direction it had come from. "Stop right there!"

“You underestimated my dancing prowess I see, but a magician should be as good with his feet as he is with his hands.” 

He froze in the center pretending to admire the shine of the beryl as he held it up to the newly restored light, instead listening to the sound of the approaching rush of guards and estimating just how far away they were. As soon as the first officer’s footstep changed tone, from the dull thud on polished wood to the sharp clap on the dance parquet, Kaito braced his leg on top of the case and jumped. 

His already upraised hand sprouted a grapple that snaked up to snag on the smooth ceiling, pulling him aloft at the apex of his jump and swinging him towards the door he’d marked ahead of time for an easier exit. The pile of officers that had doubtless formed behind him shouted and swore but the trap that they had so expertly set for him had sprung on them instead. 

He knew his next moves down to the inch: the door was exactly forty-five feet from the parquet, a small lobby beyond fifteen feet wide with couches arranged in a diamond pattern leaving a clean route straight through to another door twenty feet ahead opening onto a corridor. From there it would be a simple escape through a side entrance fifty feet to the right. Anyone who found him outside the building would be treated to a frail old man hobbling along on his walker. 

Confident in his path, he slid along the waxed floor when he landed and held out a hand to tap the door as he passed, starting the stride count in his head. Three feet, six feet, ni—his elbow caught the edge of something as he passed through the middle of the lobby, a pedestal he didn’t remember from his orientation of the room. It shouldn’t have been there, he wasn’t one to miss something so obviously in his path and he’d certainly made his rounds thoroughly that afternoon. Nevertheless, it had been in his way and he should’ve been able to avoid it. He twisted, hands finding the edge of the pedestal and searching for something to grab and right into place but whatever had been on it smashed to the floor a second later, the pieces raining over his shoes and the pristine tiles. 

“KID?” Hakuba’s voice sounded from far too close, somewhere to his left and Kaito startled, a shard of the mystery object crunching under his feet. He didn’t have any time to dwell on this, Hakuba was already a liability from having too many suspicions, there was no reason to give him an opportunity to have any more. Orienting himself again with a swift pivot of the heel, he raced for the corridor again, tossing a pair of smoke bombs behind him as a parting gift. 

A few seconds later, he’d divested himself of his cape and hat, donning the sweater vest and loafers of his disguise and the fire escape opened under his hands quietly and easily. He stepped into the crisp night air to let himself blend into the audience of onlookers congregated near the front of the building, the gem heavy in his pocket, waiting with possibility. But despite the success of the evening, the thought still kept coming back to him, unbidden and unnerving: how much had Hakuba seen? 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm also on [tumblr](https://squidpro-quo.tumblr.com/) if you have any prompts or thoughts! I tend to need a nudge to keep writing things because I get distracted by other ideas, so if you want more, drop me an ask


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